Cooking With Bloggers: Halibut II

halibut with pearl couscous and roasted tomatoes
Originally uploaded by kayaksoup.

I think I have mentioned my recipe gathering technique before; as I read blogs, any recipe that catches my eye gets bookmarked. Then, when I am searching for inspiration, I just scroll through the bookmarks. Once I make a recipe, I write it up, then delete it from my bookmarks so that I don't repeat anything.
This latest recipe comes courtesy of superspark, a new blog discovery for me. I adapted it to suit pour ingredients, but apart from that, there was no change to the recipe, which can also be found on epicurious.

Halibut with pearl couscous, slow-roasted tomatoes, and lemon oregano oil (serves 6)
Imade the six servings of tomatoes, as did superspark. Everything else I have scaled down.
Ingredients for tomatoes and lemon oregano oil:
6 plum tomatoes (1 lb), halved lengthwise
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 fresh basil leaves
12 whole fresh oregano leaves plus 3 tablespoons finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest, removed in strips with a vegetable peeler and finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Ingredients for couscous:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup pearl (Israeli) couscous
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for halibut
2(6-oz) pieces halibut
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt
2 tbsp Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise

1. Roast tomatoes and prepare oil:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F. Toss tomatoes with sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and arrange, cut sides down, in a small shallow baking pan.

Heat oil in a 9- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in basil and whole oregano leaves, then pour oil over tomatoes. Roast tomatoes until very tender but not falling apart, 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer tomatoes with a spatula to a large plate, then pour oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl or measuring cup, discarding solids. Stir in chopped oregano, zest, juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
2. Cook couscous:
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast couscous, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and pale golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add water and salt and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes, then stir in 1 tablespoon lemon oregano oil. Season with salt.

3. Roast halibut while couscous stands:
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500°F. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Arrange halibut in baking pan, then drizzle with olive oil, rubbing it over tops of fillets, and sprinkle with salt. Roast halibut until just cooked through, 10-12 minutes.

Divide couscous among plates. Transfer halibut fillet to each bed of couscous. Put 2 tomato halves on each plate, then sprinkle halibut with olives and drizzle with some lemon oregano oil.

Cooks’ note:
Tomatoes can be roasted 3 days ahead and chilled in oil in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Menu Plan

Just to prove that I am back on the cooking wagon, here is my menu plan for the week...
Sunday ~ Sicilian Chicken
Parmesan Potatoes
broccoli

Monday ~ Salmon with pearl couscous and roasted tomatoes

Tuesday~ Sweet and Sour Pork
Rice
Sauteed spinach

Wednesday~ Rob gets to cook beef

Thursday ~ Leftovers (sicilian chicken, roasted tomatoes, rice casserole)

Friday ~ Rob gets to cook seafood.

How about them Oscars??

Total geek here I managed to watch the Oscars from Red carpet to closing chords, despite poor Rob being bored out of his mind. I love the Oscars and am a big suck, crying for the winners etc. Still wished Peter O Toole could have won, but I think the best actor category was so stacked that any of those guys deserved the award.
I made dinner too, for the first time in forever. Unfortunately, I was too wrapped up in watching to take pictures, but I stole the menu from What did you eat? so go there for artful illustration.
Potatoes with Parmiggiano ~ didn't work well for me, but has potential. May have been operator error, but I like the concept, so I will play around some more and try to get it down pat.
Sicilian Chicken With Mint and Almonds ~ this was so good!! Please, try it, you will love it.
I also served steamed broccoli, but I don't think anyone needs a recipe for that.

??

I have been busy...really. I mean, Rob came home Sunday and I had more important (gasp) things to do than post to my blog. Still not feeling the food post vibe, but I hope to be back to normal once I get through this week.
For the person who asked, Meyer lemons can be found in Vancouver at Urban Fare, Whole Foods and South China Seas.
I have the coolest friends, travelling the world, although I do miss seeing them.

Book Meme

I have a book thing... so when I found this meme at Wandering Coyote, I wanted to play, even though I wasn't tagged.

Feel free to steal the list; I have no idea why these particular books are on this list.

Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a 10 foot pole, put a cross in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk* the ones you’ve never heard of.

1. +The Da Vinci Code(Dan Brown)
2. +Pride and Predjudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. +Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. +The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. +The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. +The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons(Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17.* Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. +The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. +The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) and the other four volumes in the trilogy.
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The lion, the witch and the Wardrobe
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. *Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. +The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True ( Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40.* The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. *The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. +Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angelas Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. +She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. +The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. +A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. +Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. +Kane and Abel(Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Michael Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. +Ulysses (James Joyce)

Simple yet elegant

 

I actually made myself a nice dinner this week. Well, part of a nice dinner; the smashed potato cake was a donation from work. I bought two lamb chops and marinated them in red wine, garlic and herbes de provence. After a couple hours, I took them out of the marinade and seared them in a smoking hot frying pan 2 or 3 minutes a side. While they rested on the counter, I deglazed the pan with more red wine and let it reduce slightly to make a pan sauce. A few green beans, blanched cut and tossed with slivered almonds rounded the meal out.

Ladies Who Lunch

Today, I had a nice leisurely lunch with a friend I haven't spent time with in a while. We each contributed a part of lunch (and a bottle of wine) and it was so tasty.

 

My contribution was two savoury tarts pulled out of the crazy recesses of my brain. I rolled out two sheets of puff pastry, scored them to make an edge and docked the dough before eggwashing and blind baking. THe first tart started with Meyer lemon juice and zest, light ricotta, half a beaten egg and salt and pepper. I spread a layer of this mixture on the prepaked crust, then laid down lightly blanched asparagus spears. THe other tart started with 4 kalamata olives, chopped fin and half a teaspoon of garlic paste blended with a tablespoon of beaten egg. I brushed this concoction lightly over the base of the crust. Then I latered sliced tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese. Both tarts went in the oven for another 10-15 minutes before I packed them up.
Katie made a delicious warm lentil salad with olives, pomegranate molasses, orange, arugula, cinnamon and other spices. We sipped a nice riesling with lunch.

After, in light of the bleak Vancouver day, we curled up on the couch and watched Persuasion, following our Riesling with a Gray Monk Gamay Noir.

 

Of course, the star of the whole afternoon was the lovable and infamous George.

Restaurant: Smoking Dog

I continued my solo culinary exploration of vancouver with a trip to the Smoking Dog. Years ago, Rob took me here for a birthday ~ it was overpriced and over rated. Having heard it recently changed hands, I thought I should give it a try.
My reservation was for 6:15. Apparently I didn't need to make one, as the restaurant was almost totally deserted except for the owners and chef costing out the menu at a corner table. My table was not comfortable and I immediately started to feel the awkwardness of dining solo so I whipped out a book, trying not to eavesdrop on the meun costing (impossible by the way). As I waited for my food, a few more tables trickled in. The owner moved on to the dessert menu.
I ordered Mussels and Frites. The mussels were delicious, the broth so flavourable. I was glad that I had saved my pre-dinner bread to soak up all that flavourful juice. The frites were very generic (go fish has spoiled me for life) but that was okay as I didn't particularly want them anyway. I also enjoyed a glass of Viogner with my meal.
Eavesdropping on the menu planning made me want to give their bread pudding a shot "The bread pudding is good.. It was not so good at first, but I think the kitchen has got it know, so we should keep it on the menu." It was okay except for one burned corner of bread, but I found it a little dry for my tastes.
All in all, a pleasant but not exciting evening. Won't be going there on my own again, but could forsee a casual dinner out with Rob or lunch with friends...

Fuel: Redux

Let me preface this by saying you will never see photos of the food from Fuel. I enjoy my time there so much, all thought of picture taking flies out of my head.
I had a mixed experience last visit ~ a Sunday Lunch, but I really wanted to give it another shot. I made a reservation for 6:15 (the only way to get in, BTW is with a reso ~ I watched them turn away at least a dozen people tonight) and requested a seat at the kitchen bar when I got there.
What a great place to sit, watching everything as I sipped an Elderflower Collins (so good). My server was gracious and helpful without being overbearing or obsequious. A surprise offering of a smoked albacore tuna amuse bouche had me loving them long before my meal even hit the stove. I had gone in planning to give the pork belly another chance, but the special won me over; Heirloom Chicken Leg with Foie Gras Stuffing and poached Heirloom Chicken Breast, Celeriac Puree, Celery. It was wholly over the top ~ decadent, rich, flavourful (no salt issues this time), I wanted to lick the plate clean. A glass of Chardonnay was recommended and the pairing worked well, although the wine was not one I would choose to drink on its own.
I opted to follow the over-the-top theme of the evening and ordered dessert; a pear beignet with jasmine sabayon as well as a cup of coffee.
As I enjoyed my delightful dessert, I overheard a group of diners come in... the voice sounded familiar. I heard a "we will put Margaret right here". Turning, I saw the server usher my BOSS to the seat at the bar beside me. Awkwardness ensued on my part (why did I feel like I was intruding on her evening when I had been there first?). Finishing my coffee as rapidly as I could without looking like I was eager to leave, I gathered my bill, plunked down more cash than I usually lay out for dinner for two and left feeling happily filled.

All by myself...

Finally, I actually cooked a meal for myself!
I pulled a simple recipe out of Caper's Super Foods Super You and purchased a side of greens. Dinner was ready in no time.

Ginger Smoked Tofu
2 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp warm water
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 piece smoked tofu, cut in half
Preheat oven to 375F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow the tofu to marinate for half an hour. Bake with marinade until marinade has dried up and tofu is heated through.

For dessert, I used some leftover ricotta cream, some leftover sour cherries and an Anna's Almond Thin.

Lazy Food

I had the best of intentions last night... I was going to come home and make myself a healthy dinner from a link that was given to me ~ Super Foods Super You.
I worked a catering job yesterday, 12-6pm, a 60th birthday surprise party in a cute house in the Southlands area. It was hard. The most demanding job I have worked yet! Tons of heavy lifting and stairs, people who want to be in the kitchen because that is where the action is, making it hard for me to move, etc. I actually slipped on the wet wooden stairs as I was caring something out to the catering van. Refusing to let go of the bin I was carrying, I fell on my side, wrenching my back and bruising my butt and ego.
I was so tired by the time I got home, all I could do was heat up a can of lentil soup and a cute little screwtop of wine that was sent to me. I crawled into the recliner with my trashy supper and watched "Grease: the One That We Want" for three hours. I promise tonight's dinner will be more exciting.

Editing for the smart@&& in the comment section ;D

The menu at this birthday party consisted of:
Sablefish cakes with preserved lemon and porcini mayo
Parmesan Crisps with Zinfandel Poached Pears
Cucumber cups with Thai Spiced Beef
Lamb Lollipops with mint aioli
Ancho Chili Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip
Moroccan Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Quince and Pomegranate Molasses dip
Salad Rolls with Lime Chili Dip

There were assorted platters on the buffet:
Gourmet Meat and Cheese Platters
Market Veg Basket (VEggies and Dip)
Smoked Salmon and Smoked Trout platter
Guacamole, Salsa and Chips
Fruit Platter

Dessert was a Banana Chiffon Cake with Milk Chocolate Buttercream

Not a drop of tapioca to be seen ;P

Review: Flying Tiger

Disclaimer: I know the chef and a portion of meal was a treat from her.

I didn't know, when I settled on Flying Tiger, that I knew the chef. I glanced at a menu as I wandered by and a pork belly dish grabbed my eye; I decided to come back from dinner.
I have always found dining solo slightly intimidating, but I was made comfortable as soon as I walked in. A seat at the bar was offered and as I walked up, I spotted a familiar face; Chef Tina Fineza, the Asian Cuisine instructor from my days working at the culinary school. Then another familiar face, a woman who had been a student when I worked at Dubrulle. She was one of the best and I wasn't surprised to see that Chef Tina had snapped her up
The bar looked into the tiny open kitchen, an ideal spot in my opinion! I ordered a cocktail while I contemplated the menu and watched dishes come by me at the pass. Flying Tiger was offering a Dine Out menu, but the pork belly was not on it. I opted for an appetizer from the dine out menu and the pork.

 

The appetizer turned out to be the size of a main: toro tuna sushi encased in a tempura batter. This dish was so rich, I almost had to throw the towel in early on. I think my favourite part were the mushrooms served with the dish. They had an acidity that helped to cut the richness of the tuna and the next thing I knew, my plate was empty

 

The pork belly. This is what all pork belly should aspire to be. The meat was perfectly cooked, tender, decadent. The broth was rich and flavourful. It was served with a shredded mango pickle and garlic fried rice, both of which complimented the dish very well. I managed to eat every ounce of pork, but just had no room for all the rice. I asked for an appropriate pairing of wine and the Klein Zinfandel I was poured was delicious (so much so, I ordered a second glass!) Chef Tina offered a sample of the duck crepes (which look amazing,) but (insanely) I turned her down. I had seen coconut soup on the dessert menu and I was really hoping I would be able to find some room for it..
We chatted a bit, I watched the action in the kitchen, mesmerized. I felt warm and comfortable. The chef chatted with other patrons at the bar, making everyone feel at home (if home included a chef and a kitchen like that!).

 

A plate appeared over the top of the bar, Leanne presenting me with an unordered dessert sampler. The picture is terrible and really doesn't do it justice. The first dessert was a Cassava coconut cake ~ cassava shredded and cooked with sugar and coconut milk, I think. It was delicious, light, not too sweet, loaded with flavour. At the end of the plate, deep fried bananas with chocolate sauce ~ rich, rich, rich. At this point, I was well past the edge and I could only eat one bite. I wanted to save all my energy for the center dessert, coconut soup. I devoured every single drop of that soup...

I walked home from the Flying Tiger, a good half hour walk, half of it uphill in the damp cold. I didn't care. I was warm and delirious with food joy.

Dinner Delivery

My grandparents have been in town for a few days, attending a PAMEA conference and they very graciously agreed to keep me company last night. (It was my first lonely night sans Rob.) They had treated the two of us to dinner the night before, so it was my turn to provide the sustenance. Unfortunately, I was so caught up in serving dinner, I forgot to take pictures until dessert.
The logistics of the whole thing were challenging; they were staying in a hotel about an hour by foot and bus from my house. They had no microwave or any other cooking related device. I wanted to make a nice hot meal.
I settled on roasted chicken breast with Meyer lemon and basil, baked potato and salad. As soon as I got home from work, I cranked the oven, popped the potatoes in and filled a small cooler with boiling water. I then marinated the chicken in Meyer lemon zest and juice, fresh basil, olive oil and white wine vinegar. 20 minutes before departure time, I seared the chicken, then popped it in the oven. As it cooked, I packed a backpack with cutlery, plastic plates, sour cream and butter (in little jars), salt and pepper, salad and dressing, as well as the dessert requirements and a thermos of hot water for tea. As soon as the chicken breast were done, I wrapped them in heavy duty foil, lined with parchment. They went into the cooler with the hot potatoes, everything gut covered with a warm towel and I locked the lid down. Then I rushed out the door.
I made it to Richmond in just under an hour and the food was still piping hot!
For dessert, at home I took the Braun to a pot of ricotta cheese with honey and vanilla added. Once the grainy texture was gone, I packed it up. I also brought a can of tropical fruit (papyas, mangos, guava etc) packed in juice and some of Anna's Almond Thins. Onsite, I layered the ingredients to create the dessert below. I was pleasantly surprised by how well everything turned out!

On the bus home, I got stuck next to a drunk guy, but at least he was an entertaining one who shared his secret to Yorkshire puddings and his favourite red wine to have with roast beef dinner!

Cooking With Bloggers: Halibut

I have found several recipes at passionate nonchalance that grab my eye; the lastest was this halibut dish. I stuck pretty close to aria's recipe, only leaving out one ingredient (mostly because I forgot).

Roasted Halibut with Olives

1 lg filet halibut, cut into serving pieces
unfiltered or good olive oil
handfull green olives
a few sprigs fresh rosemary, torn in half
2 cloves garic, thinly sliced
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 375F. Place halibut in a baking dish. Scatter olives and rosemary over top, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-30 minutes or until halibut is just cooked through. Serve with lemon wedge on the side.

The fish was very flavourful without being overwhelmed by the other components of the dish. Thank you aria, for another winner!

Lucky Girl

I am one lucky girl. I received this amazing care package from a friend Down South just the other day. I feel totally spoiled!

On the news front, I am studiously avoiding doing anything extracurricular as I make the final push to finish Buffy. You will be hearing more from me once I get through the last three disks of the series.
Rob is taking off for 2 weeks to work in Ontario and I am going to be a lonely gal. Which means I will be doing lots of geeky updating of the blog, reformatting etc.

Rob's Birthday Dinner

Every year, I try to treat Rob to the birthday dinner of his dreams. Last year's was pretty good, but I think I beat it this year!

We started with the ubiquitous oyster, four of them actually, on a bed of coarse salt and red salt. This was paired with a Champagne (a real one), seen in the picture below.

I just have to say that I went to Liberty Wines on Granville Island and the woman who helped me was wonderful.

The oysters were followed by a wild mushroom and winter vegetable soup, modeled after one that I made last year; recipe found here. I paired this course with the Champagne as well.

Every year, Rob requests foie gras. This year, I poached pear in honey and balsamic, fanned and then broiled some of the pear and pureed the rest with the balsamic liquid. The foie itself went into a scary hot pan, 30 seconds a side. The smoke was incredible; I was coughing and choking as I tried to fan it away from the building smoke detector. I placed the seared foie on a piece of toasted brioche and served with rest of the sauce. Rob said it was the highlight of the meal.

With this course, I paired a Sauternes, a luscious sweet apricot/peachy wine. It worked so well with the richness of the meat and the sweet acidity of the sauce.

After all that decadence, I had to go for a light refreshing salad; shaved fennel, arugula and pine nuts. This worked with the Sauternes as well, accentuating the apricot side more.

The final savoury course was a lamb osso buco with polenta and glazed winter vegetables. It will be repeated in this house!

The most expensive wine of the night was the one paired with the lamb. But it was so perfect! It is called Brunello Di Montalcino. I suggest reading this interesting little tidbit about it. A wine I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for something a little more special.

I cheated on desert and got a chocolate mousse cake from Urban Fare; I was too exhausted to cook anything alse.

Restaurant: Fuel

I have been dying to check out Fuel since well before they opened ~ it just looked so cool inside! Then I heard the news around work that it was the work of Tom Doughty and Rob Belcham (C, Nu). I don't usually talk restaurants, chefs and gossip here, because I figure it will bore most people, especially the Non-Vancouverites. Lets just say these are some culinary heavyweights.
The restaurant opened, the menu could be perused online and my coworkers were raving. My wallet not so much (this place is really out of my league!). But wait; there is a lunch menu. So today, I took Rob to Fuel for lunch as Phase II of birthday action.
We walked in and were greeted warmly, seated quickly in a terribly uncomfortable not cosy environment. Oh, the chairs were comfortable enough, but they were packed in there so tight, the only really intimate feeling about the whole place was how intimate you could get with your neighbours! No pictures because of this AND the table to my right was irritating me with their snobiness and general expectancy of premium treatment while still being rude to the waitstaff.
We were served efficiently, but I noticed another couple that didn't get their bread until we were on our main course and they were there before us.
I ordered a lemon-thyme soda and a braised lamb sandwich. Rob ordered crispy pork belly. We were served cute little miniature epi on slabs of polished (granite?) with whipped butter and Maldon salt. Delicious.
My soda was also impeccable and I was tempted to order a second. For the 3.50$ price tag, it was worth every cent.
The food arrived. My lamb sandwich was huge, the pile of red onions rings still managed to dwarf it. The sandwich itself was tasty and extremely filling, but the seasoning was lacking (read salt). I could not stop eating the onion rings though! Lightly battered, almost tempura like, well salted, crispy but soft and sweet...yum**.
Rob, well I could tell he was annoyed as soon as he tried to cut a piece of the pork belly. It was served in a bowl with a dashi, shiitake mushrooms and julienned red radish. The dashi broth, while adding a wonderful flavour element to the dish, completely negated the crispiness of the pork belly. The presentation bowl was shaped in such a way that it was extremely difficult to cut the pork neatly as well. The flavour was good, the dish was rich and meaty, but the presentation left a little to be desired.
Am I glad I went there? Absolutely! Would I go there again? In a word ~no.
**technical culinary term

Wait! Can I change my mind?? I have been sitting here thinking about it... I think next time I will go by myself and sit at the dining bar in front of the kitchen...

Off Topic: Family

This is not a food post so feel free not to read it. I am totally wiped out right now, having just returned from a memorial service held for my great-grandmother. As if coping with her death wasn't challenging enough, my mother showed up with my half sister. People I haven't seen or spoken to in 17 years. Why does family have to be so bloody complicated??

the accidental foodie

Barbara Jo's was having a book sale last week and I scored the accidental foodie for a ridiculously cheap price. A food editor's stories of the culinary heroes who have touched his life, with recipes thrown in for good measure. I am barely 1/4 of the way into it, but I already have several of the recipes marked for testing. Last night, I made Bill Granger's Chicken Schnitzel with Tomato and Preserved Lemon salad

Chicken with Artichokes and Peas

MY alternate entry for the stew event. The recipe is adapted from this months Gourmet Magazine.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES AND PEAS


Chicken thighs are a natural for braising because they stay nice and juicy. Plus, the dark meat is a good counterpoint to the sweetness of peas and the slight acidity of the artichokes.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
750 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (14-oz) can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and halved lengthwise
1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon herbes de provence
Preheat oven to 300F
Put flour in a shallow bowl. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then dredge, 1 piece at a time, in flour, shaking off excess. Transfer to a sheet of wax paper as coated.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chicken turning over once, until deep golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate (chicken will not be fully cooked).

Add onion with remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden brown around edges, about 6 minutes. Add herbes de provence and wine and boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Stir in broth, artichokes, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return chicken to skillet along with any juices from plate, cover and place in oven. Simmer until chicken is tender, about 40minutes. Stir in peas and simmer, covered, 5 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a shallow serving dish. Stir parsley and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper into artichoke mixture, then spoon over chicken.

Beef Stew with Wild Mushrooms.

I love stew and coincidentally, its the theme of this months Waiter, Theres Something in My...! This recipe was taken from Kalyn's Kitchen and adapted slightly to fit my cravings, although I am sure it would be delicious in Kalyn's adaptation from a Mark Bittman recipe. Of course, I just realised that this is HER submission for the meme, so I'll make a different stew to submit for myself. In the meantime, here is my take on it.

Beef Stew with Dried Mushrooms
(about 6 servings, adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen's adaptation from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World, page 381)

2 cups beef stock, heated to boiling
2 cups dried chanterelle and porcini mushrooms
1 red onion, chopped
2 lb sirloin tip roast, cut into pieces about 1" or slightly larger
olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (I use Muir Glen)
1/4 cup tomato paste
bay leaves (I just cut a bunch from my bay tree)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
3 cups red potatoes

Preheat Oven to 300F

Heat stock to point of boiling in saucepan, turn off heat, then add mushrooms and let them soak for at least half an hour.

In large heavy pan, heat olive oil. Season beef well with salt and pepper and sear in batches, setting aside seared beef.

In same pan, saute onions until soft. Add tomato paste and cook for another minute or two. Deglaze the pan with red wine, then add fire roasted tomatoes, the meat, the mushrooms and stock and bay leaves. Cover and place in the oven for about one hour.

Cut potatoes into roughly 2 inch pieces and add to the stew, stirring well to coat. Return to the oven for a further 45 minutes. Then remove the lid and allow stew to cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Wahhh!

I wish I had put my Buffy season 2 in the freezer...

Food in Vegas

My Room service breakfast: corned beef hash with poached eggs















Clams in a marinara sauce. This was an appetizer portion; I finally figured out that in order to avoid insane portions, order appies.















13.95 prime rib dinner. Need I say more.















Breakfast buffet at the Bellagio.

















Sandwiches from wichcraft; meatloaf and hot turkey and bacon.

























Dessert from Bellagio buffet; chocolate jello, espresso cream.

























Dessert from Bellagio buffet; apricot pannacotta.











Cinnamon bun from room service.















Country fried steak and eggs.















Rob's Bellagio room service breakfast; eggs Benedict















Oysters make him happy!















Mexicali burger from Margaritaville (can anyone say cheesefest? The restaurant, not the burger. The burger was quite good.

I'm Back!

Night view
Originally uploaded by kayaksoup.

Well, we actually got home at 3:30 am on Monday morning, but I spent the last couple days recovering, dealing with sad family news and working.
This picture was the actual view from our room at the Bellagio...I'll be back with more tomorrow ~ must watch Buffy Season 2 (I am so addicted, it isn't even funny)

Steak Salad

Steak Salad
Originally uploaded by kayaksoup.

The night before we leave for Las Vegas, we go for a relatively light meal; a steak salad with a ginger lime vinaigrette and a baked potato. Big flavour bang and by splitting a ribeye, we saved a bit of money too. The tomato is a newish breed that we discovered at our favourite produce stand, something Russo. It actually has a little flavour and a beautiful texture!
Here is the recipe for the vinaigrette, which we also used as a marinade as well for the steak. This is my favourite dressing and we keep a jar of it in the fridge at all times.

Ginger Soy Vinaigrette
I shallot minced
1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
black pepper
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice.

recipe from Wolfgang Puck

Chicken with Serrano ham and quince paste

2007_01_02 001
Originally uploaded by kayaksoup.

This was last nights dinner; we had some leftover Serrano ham in the fridge and I wanted something relatively simple for dinner. Rob spread quince paste combined with herbes de Provence on slices of Serrano ham. HE then wrapped the ham around a chicken breast. The chicken was seared and then baked in the oven to an internal temp of 150F. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, slice and serve.
THe potatoes are actually leftovers from our New Years Eve Dinner; Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes from Cooking Light.

Healthy Lunch

I think this qualifies as a healthy lunch. I blame a lot of my snacking issues on two factors; work and my lack of solid lunches. I tend to skim over lunch, grab a bite in passing, even turn lunch into a snack, which results in all sorts of low blood sugar issues and crankiness. Today, I made it home from work early enough to whip this up.

1 egg
4 egg whites
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
salt and pepper
1 tbsp salsa

heat a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Saute red pepper and onion till soft, remove from pan. Beat eggs, season with salt and pepper and pour into pan. Cook gently, lifting edges and allowing uncooked egg to flow underneath. When the eggs are almost set, add peppers and onions and fold eggs over to create a half moon. Transfer to serving dish and top with salsa.


I should also mention that I have a new computer!! which is part of my issues with blogging; having trouble getting all my old blogging tools to work.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2007! I will be a year of transition for us as Rob looks for a new job. Before all that nastiness starts though, I surprised hime with an early birthday present; we are going to Las Vegas!

I don't make resolutions as such, but I do have a few goals for the coming year. I need to tame the snacking beast and I am going to try to be a better blogger. I never imagined, when I started in 2005, that I would still be blogging 2 years later!

Christmas Breakfast

Brie and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

Inside, all the melty goodness.

Merry Christmas!

I crawled out of bed at 4:30am; one more day, a mere 8 hrs, and I will finally rest! I have to get to work and start the mashing of the potatoes (all 260 lb) as well as the roasting of the gigantic prime rib roasts (full size they are!). It has been a crazy couple of weeks, but I can say that I have enjoyed almost every minute of it, although, if I hadn't promised chocolates for the Menu for Hope, I probably wouldn't have bothered with those this year ~ just that little bit too much work.
Thank you for being patient with my non-blog posting. I promise I will be back with a vengeance as soon as I get some sleep.
Merry Christmas to everyone!

Last Chance

Last Chance to buy a ticket! Thank you to everyone who gave so generously! And remember, those handmade chocolates are CA11

Menu for Hope III ~ Canadian Content

Well, we are in the final days of this menu for hope and looking at 30.000$ raised! You have until Dec 22 to buy raffle tickets, so don't forget about the rest of our lovely Canadian prizes.

CA10 ~ the fabulous people behind one of my favourite blogs, an endless banquet, bring you an abundance of goodies and preserves; the Pear, Vanilla, BOurbon butter sounds wonderful!

CA 11 ~ found right here on this blog, I am offering up a collection of handmade chocolates and truffles. I test marketed them at a party on the weekend and the response was very positive. The flavours are Port, Dulce De Leche, Frangelico, Kahlua, Chai, Peanut Butter and Rosewater and Cardamom. 2 dozen of these little gems will come in a handpainted box (painted in the colours of the winner's choice). Like most of the Canadian prizes, I will ship anywhere.


CA12~ Susur Lee is one of the most exciting chefs in Canada right now and you can own an exclusive signed copy of his biography/memoir/cookbook Susur: a Culinary Life courtesy of Rob and Rachel of Hungry in Hogtown

CA13~ I am not sure I want to tell you about CA13. I want this priz; A chocolate lovers dream. Clement of a la cuisine is offering a sampling of the finest chocolates from around the world.

That is all I have time for today. Come on, buy a ticket or two; it could be your lucky day!

Canadian Menu for Hope part 2

Did you see how well we are doing? Thank you to everyone who has bought a raffle ticket so far, although I would love to see a little more Canadian Content. So, without further ado, here are the next few Canadian prizes.

CA06 ~ Nico's delicious Chilean Bread. This works best for someone in the Vancouver area. Nico will bake some Chilean Bread, freeze it and deliver it with cooking instructions to your desired location. How could you go wrong with homemade bread?

CA07~ More cookbooks, courtesy of Jen from THe Canadian Baker. The cupcake book looks stunning and way too tempting. But don't take my word for it; follow the link to her site to read all about it, then buy a ticket!

CA08 and CA09~ Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours, autographed no less! Some of you may remember that I made delicious apple spice bars from that cookbook, but she also has a killer recipe for chocolate marshmallow madelines that I never got around to posting. All the more reason to enter the draw for the cookbook (CA08). CA09, also from Sara, is Culianry Calgary to go. This package includes a cookbook AND some chocolate along with a few other goodies.

That is all I have time for today. Off to work in the culinary salt mines.

Canadian Menu for Hope

Sick of hearing about Menu for Hope yet?? I hope not, because I want to point out the wonderful Canadian prize packages.

CA01 ~ from my wonderful swap partner, Kelli Ann of avoir une famille n'est pas comme un teleroman.
She has knitted an adorable teacozy, before for keeping your teapot warm on those dreary February days. The fun doesn't stop there; she has also thrown in a local tisane blend AND a set of vintage styled set of postcards from a couple of Canadian artists.

CA02 ~ Tara, of seven spoons (I can't believe I have never read this blog before!) has donated some cookbooks. The first, one I have long had my eye on, is Michelle Cranston and Petrina Tinslay's Food and Drink at Home. I love all of Michelle Cranston's books and I may have to add this one to my collection. Also included in the cookbook prize package are Bob Blumer's cookbook AND the Playboy Bartender's Guide. Sounds like a well rounded party planning package!

CA03 ~ a makeover for your blog! Want to spice up your blog page, make it look a little more polished? Meena of Hooked on Heat is offering her talent to design a blog header all your own.

CA04 ~ worth a trip to Ontario, without a doubt. Jasmine is offering up a huge prize package that I am seriously coveting ; "Work up an appetite at a guided hike through the Waterloo moraine (a beautiful natural aquifer, protected from development). Afterwards, I’ll prepare a simple supper for us at tranquil Sunfish Lake (pictured), hosted by Edna Staebler’s dear friend and neighbour. Thanks to the very kind people at Wilfrid Laurier Press, you will also receive a copy of the just-off-the-press re-release of Edna’s first cookbook, Food That Really Schmecks. An optional morning at the St. Jacob’s Farmer’s Market can also be included on this day-trip. "

CA05~ Paige of chef-girl.net has donated a Michael Smith cookbook, A Chef’s Day at The Inn at Bay Fortune. Those of you who watch his shows knwo that Michael Smith is an interesting and talented chef. I would be very curious to see what kind of recipes are in that book ~ nly way to find out is to buy a raffle ticket!
That's all I have time for today. Tomorrow, I will look at the next five Canadian prizes.
Please, dig into your virtual pockets and donate to this wonderful cause!

Menu for Hope III ~ a few of my favourite things

This is a canned post; I sat down on my day off and wrote a few to post on my really insane days!
I want to talk about Menu for Hope again and more specifically, the prizes I have my eye on (because I can have my own prize any time I like).
I was surfing through the lists on Chez Pim and the first thing my eyes fell on was prize UW25. I think a good excuse to check out Chicago PLUS what an interesting conference!

Next, I spotted UC09
I have been in love with the sheer creativity of Ideas in Food for quite a while now, and to be able to own a hardcover copy of their book!?

Also in the middle US, UC07 and UC06. Some cool geek gadgets; an iPod nano and a photo lightbox! What a score that would be for a mere ten dollar ticket!

Perhaps the most coveted prize, UW08, a pass for Taste3.

Update

Menu for Hope

Well, some of you may have been wondering where I got too; last week seriously kicked my @##. Christmas is coming and in catering land, that means working 15 hrs a day, at least 5 days a week. Today, I am off, but I don't have recovery time; I have truffles to make, cards to write, parties to plan and gift boxes to paint. I haven't posted any food lately, because I don't even know what the food looks like; I just put it in my mouth and hope it keeps me going for a few more hours. Look for more regular posting to start in January. I will try to post as much as possible through December, but I don't see a lot of that happening.

The next blog on my Blogreader spotlight really needs no introduction. If you don't read her by now, please start. Head on over to bakingsheet, produced by the talented Nic.

Menu For Hope III ~CA11

Menu for Hope is a fund raising campaign started two years ago. The first year, the money raised went to help tsunami victims. The next, people hit by the earthquake in Pakistan. This year, funds raised will go to the United Nations World Food Program. Food bloggers around the world put together prize packages to be submitted to one giant raffle. Tickets are 10$ US and you can specify the prize that you wish to enter the draw for, one prize code per 10$ donation.

This year, Jasmine talked me into participating and I am offering up a chocolate lover's dream prize; Twenty four assorted hand crafted chocolates and truffles in a handpainted wooden box. The box is semi customised, as the winner of the prize will be able to choose what colours they want to go on it! The flavours I have chosen to include are; chai, port, frangelico, dulce de leche, gingerbread, cardamom and rosewater, and Kahlua. I use 70% or 86% dark chocolate for most of the truffles, with a little bit of Callebaut white thrown in for colour contrast (cardamom and rosewater, gingerbread). Prize Code is CA11

I hope that everyone who reads this blog will get in on the Menu for Hope campaign. There are so many other wonderful prizes available as well; Jasmine has the Canadian round up here and the international listing can be found at Chez Pim, the original organiser!

To buy raffle tickets or to make a donation towards the campaign:
1. Go to the donation page at (http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII) to make a contribution.
2. Each US$10 donation will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. Please specify which prize or prizes you'd like by entering the prize code in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your contribution. E.G: A US$50 donation may be two tickets for UW99 and three tickets for CA20.*
3. Some companies will match personal charitable donations made by staff. If your company has such a program, please remember to mark the appropriate box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.
4. Please also check the box to allow us to see your email address. We need this so we can contact you in case you win a prize. If you do not do this, we will be unable to contact you. Please be assured that we will not share your email address with anyone.
5. Raffle results will be announced on 15 January on Chez Pim. Draws will be conducted electronically, thanks to Derrick at Obsession with Food for creating computer application used to magically select names.

* N.B: Canadian tax laws prohibit charitable donation receipts to be issued by registered Canadian charities for raffle or lottery tickets. The UNWFP is a U.S.-based charity; should any donation receipts issued, you will need to seek professional advice regarding applying them to your Canadian income tax return.
Menu_for_Hope
Menuforhope

Zuni Cafe Brasato

Finally broke in the Zuni Cafe Cookbook I bought at least six months ago! I rarely cook from cookbooks these days...
The recipe is beautifully written, almost a story instead of a recipe. And it yields the best pot roast I have ever made or eaten.

Brasato

1 4lb beef shoulder chuck, trimmed
salt
750 ml red wine (reccomends Cabernety Sauvignon, Syrah or other hearty red)
4 cups beef stock ( I am going to skip the chicken stock option to save typing energy)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into two inch chunks
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into two inch chunks
I medium onion, cut into two inch wedges
Garlic cloves (Judy Rogers says a handful, I say go with what you are comfortable with)
1 or 2 bay leaves
12 black peppercorns, barely cracked
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
(there is also the option to add a pinch of sugar. I don't think that is necessary at all.)

Judy Rogers suggests seasoning the meat 3 days in advance. I didn't plan that far ahead, so I seasoned day of. She stresses the importance of seasoning very thoroughly and I have to agree with her. If there is one thing I have learned from catering, proper seasoning makes a huge difference!
My roast came pre tied, but if yours isn't, now is the time to strap it down nice and tight.
The braising liquid can be prepared well in advance. The cookbook says to reduce beef stock by half and red wine down to 1/2 cup. I combined the beef stock and the red wine and reduced it all by half, then added a shot of balsamic. Here is where the importance of using GOOD beef stock comes in. If you use a commercial beef stock, you will end up with an overly salty mess.
Brown the meat well on all sides. I use the stovetop method, but the cookbook also suggest using the broiler if you don't want to do it stovetop.
Preheat oven to 325F.
Use whatever pan you have on hand that will accomodate this. I used my Dutch Oven. Place the meat in, add the vegetables and spices and pour the braising liquid over that, making sure to not completely cover the meat (Judy Rogers says one inch, I went with more like four inches coverage). Bring the braise to a simmer, cover and pop it in the oven. After about two hours, remove cover and turn meat. Cover and return to oven for another hour or until roast is fork tender. You can uncover for the last 30 minutes.
When the braising is finished, transfer meat out of the pot, remove the vegetables and puree them. I poured the braising liquid into a fat separator, before some of the vegetable puree to make a sauce. Slice meat against the grain and serve.
Serves six (or two with lots of leftovers for use in other dishes)

The return of Blogreader Spotlight

Between being sick, working my butt off and trying to get ready for Christmas, Blogreader Spotlight fell by the way. But I am bringing it back, with a new to me blog that just happens top fall alphabetically in the next slot; Baking and Books. I have only just started exploring this blog and I am looking forward to reading more.

Peperoni Ripieni (Stuffed Peppers)

Rob made dinner last night, as I have beeen working a lot and am starting to feel the effects. And what a dinner it was; beautiful halibut with a dill sauce, roasted asparagus and the highlight, the stuffed peppers. The recipe is from Mario Batali and was made totally untweaked. Perhaps a little heavy on the garlic ~ cut back to one clove for those days that you have to be in close proximity to the general public. Also, we discussed cutting the oil back and subbing stock instead.

Peperoni Ripieni (Stuffed Peppers)
Recipe copyright 2000, Mario Batali. All rights reserved.
2 fresh dinner rolls, outside grated off, inside shredded by hand
3 tablespoons plus 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
4 canned anchovy fillets, rinsed, drained and finely chopped
2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano
2 tablespoons pickled capers
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 yellow bell peppers, tops cut off and reserved, seeds and pith removed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, place the shredded bread and drizzle with 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Add the parsley, anchovies, 2 tablespoons cheese, capers and garlic and mix well to combine. Season aggressively with pepper and timidly with salt, then slowly mix in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil to form a fairly soft paste. Divide the mixture evenly among the 4 hollowed peppers (do not pack the mixture in too tightly) and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Replace the top of each pepper and place each pepper in a baking dish that has been brushed with extra virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot or cold.


Episode#: MB2C05
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved